WEBVTT BODY CAMERAS, RE- EVALUATING STAFFING, AND GETTING THE COMMUNITY MORE INVOLVED. THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE GOALS METRO POLICE CHIEF STEVE CONRAD HAS FOR THE NEW YEAR. WLKY'S STEVE BURGIN SAT DOWN WITH CHIEF CONRAD TODAY. HE JOINS US NOW WITH WHAT HE HAD TO SAY... STEVE... CONRAD IS COMING UP ON THREE YEARS AS THIS CITY'S POLICE CHIEF. HE SAYS 2014 WAS CHALLENGING AND CITES THE EVENING OF MARCH 22ND. 23:59:20 5780 Chief Steve Conrad/Chief/Metro Police says, It was a terrible evening for our community. THIS WAS THE SCENE AT BADER'S FOOD MART AT FIRST AND LIBERTY CAPTURED ON SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS. BUT THE ASSAULTS AND THEFTS THAT NIGHT BEGAN AT THE BIG FOUR BRIDGE AND SPREAD FROM THERE. 23:59:35 5780 Chief Steve Conrad/Chief/Metro Police says, There were some positive outcomes from that terrible evening. The increase in the number of cameras that we have down at Waterfront Park. CONRAD SAYS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER MEANS CRIME ANALYSTS CAN MONITOR, NOT ONLY THOSE CAMERAS AND CAMERAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. Hands up don't shoot hands up don't shoot. WITH DEMONSTRATIONS NATIONWIDE AGAINST POLICE AND THE AMBUSH OF TWO NYPD OFFICERS, CONRAD IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF HIS OFFICERS. 02:12 5780 Chief Steve Conrad/Chief/Metro Police says, Some of things people said about police officers aren't true. They are blatant lies in some cases and that doesn't mean there aren't problems. That there haven't been situations where police officers didn't do the right thing. But, I think is is unfair to paint with that broad brush. HE SAYS METRO POLICE ARE REMINDED ABOUT STAYING VIGILANT EVERYDAY. HIS DEPARTMENT IS STUDYING THE NEED FOR INCREASED STAFFING AND IN A FEW MONTHS WILL SOON TEST BODY CAMERAS IN CRESCENT HILL AND THE HIGHLANDS. 4:19 5780 Chief Steve Conrad/Chief/Metro Police says, I think people behave differently when they are being recorded. The police officers will behave differently. The people they are interacting with will behaved differently and I think the net result will be viewer complaints. CONRAD POINTS OUT A BODY CAMERA CAN NOT CAPTURE EVERYTHING AN OFFICER SEES. HE SAYS COMMUNITY FORUMS LIKE THIS ONE HELD EARLIER IN THE MONTH ARE AIMED AT GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED. THE CHIEF ALSO WANTS TO TARGET TROUBLED NEIGHBORHOODS. 9:44 5780 Chief Steve Conrad/Chief/Metro Police says, I want to make sure we are focusing on those neighborhoods to try to work with citizens to prevent their victimization and to try and identify and arrest people who are committing crimes in those communities to try to make them safer. CONRAD SAYS THEY'VE BEEN TRYING OUT A VIRTUAL NEIGHBOHOOD WATCH...WHERE RESIDENTS IN A PARTICULAR SECTION OF THE CITY CAN GO ON LINE TO CHAT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR AREA...AND EVEN REPORT CRIMES TO POLICE. STEVE BURGIN WLKY NEWS